Windosill

Game Title: Windosill

Platform(s): Flash (Windosill) PC (via Steam). Also available on iPad.

Stars (out of 5): 4

Content issues: None. As clean as a game can be.

Brief Summary: This game is a physics-puzzle game. The player is required to manipulate the objects in the world in order to acquire a cube that serves as a key to open the door to the next level.

Like: This game is very clever. The simple shapes and colors make for a pleasing art style. The physics and animations are exceptionally impressive. The controls are very simple and intuitive (click or click and drag) and the puzzles are a delight to discover and unravel. I love how nearly everything can move in physically realistic ways, and how everything is very responsive to the user's touch. In many games I see lots of objects in the world and I want to be able to interact with those objects so that I feel like I am in a real place. Most games do not deliver that, but this one definitely does.

Dislike: It's incredibly short. I beat the entire game in 30 minutes. That said, the game is priced accordingly. It is inexpensive and those 30 minutes were quite enjoyable. It is a bite-sized puzzle experience.

Replayability: Relatively low. I can see myself looking back at this game to get inspiration for cool things to do in games with Physics and could play this game again in a year or two after I have forgotten how the puzzles work (This is really how I feel about all puzzle games. For example, I played Braid again a few years after my original playthrough and I had forgotten enough of the puzzles for it to be fun again.)

Infamous

Game Title: Infamous

Platform: PS3

Stars (out of 5): 4


Brief Summary: Infamous is an open-world action platformer. Cole starts out as a normal man, but through an accident acquires special electrical powers. These powers become stronger and develop as Cole progresses throughout the game, and these electrical powers can be used to great effect. Some of his powers are: glide, grind cables and rails, shoot electricity out of his hands, and more. The game includes healthy doses of both action (fighting enemies with his awesome powers) and platforming (scaling buildings, grinding rails, gliding through the air, jumping, etc. The platforming in this game is truly awesome and Cole's powers really make the player feel powerful.

Content issues: Violence is certainly present, but not overly graphic. There is some suggestive talk and one level where you have to fight a very skankily clad woman. If not for those content issues. I would have given the game 5 stars.

Like: I love the open world. You can go anywhere. I love the train that goes through the world and the ability to ride on top of it. I love the climbing and platforming mechanics. Being able to scale large buildings, grind metal cables, and glide through the air is very satisfying and are the principal contributors to the fun of the game. The combat is good. I like how Cole levels up and how he gains access to more powers and to more powerful versions of powers he already has. It makes you, the player, feel very powerful, which is a must in a super hero game. Basically, just running around town, moving from building to building via gliding or grinding or scaling and using your awesome powers is extremely satisfying.

Dislike: My main complaint against this game is the objectionable content. The woman who whispers to Cole suggestively and the really skanky woman that Cole has to battle are completely unnecessary and really hurt the game for me. I also dislike how it is possible to lose opportunities so that you can no longer free 100% of the city. I got one of the zones to 94% and was unable to do anything else to bring it to 100%.

Replayability: After you beat the game, you can continue to run around the city, gathering the remaining shards and doing whatever else is still left. This is kind of fun for a little while, but without any important tasks to complete, it quickly loses its fun. You can replay the game and be an evil character if you were good, or a good character if you were evil, but I don't like being evil, even in games, so that option does not appeal to me. Also, the revelations that happen throughout the game are a large part of what makes the game interesting, and there would be nothing new the second time through. In short, I will probably never replay this game, primarily due to the content issues mentioned.

Arkedo Series -- 03 PIXEL

Game Title: Arkedo Series -- 03 PIXEL

Platform(s): Xbox 360 Live Arcade

Stars (out of 5): 4 (For an Xbox Live Arcade Indie Game)

Content issues: None. As clean as a game can be.

Brief Summary: This game is a simple platformer. The main character, Pixel, is a cat that can walk, run, jump, and high jump. He can also climb ladders. Pixel works his was through a series of beautifully crafted pixel art levels until he reunites with his cat friends.

Like: This game has excellent, classic platforming. I love the super jump that the cat can do and I use it everywhere that I can. The moving platforms, spring boards, and hazards are all perfectly executed and a lot of fun. The modern take on retro graphics is very pleasing to the eye. This game has pixel art, but it's blown up and two tone. There are also artfully crafted backdrops to every level. The animations are the cat are fun and cute. There is a lot of attention to detail in this game as well, such as leaves falling when you chop down a tree, moving clouds leaving a little trail, etc. The music is catchy and works well with the art style. There are also signs throughout the levels that are either helpful, humorous, or both.

Dislike: This is a hard game. Many parts of the game have to be executed perfectly in order for you to succeed. Many times a tiny misstep results in starting over from the very beginning. There are far too few checkpoints, which adds to the difficulty level, and I dislike how the entire level is reloaded if you die. The programmers could have simply moved you back to the beginning of the level or to a checkpoint, reset the enemies, and away you go. Waiting for the level to reload is annoying. Another thing that I dislike is that the only thing that you can get from a treasure chest (after beating the mini-game) is having your health restored to full.

Replayability: Moderately replayable. If you have a bunch of games, you will probably never come back to this one once you have conquered it, but if your game collection is limited, then after a month or two this game would be fun again.

Game Reviews

I am an indie game developer and student at the University of Utah. I also love to play games. As I complete video games I will post a review on this blog. This will help me to better understand what makes games good and fun and it will give me a chance to improve my writing skills. Hopefully the reviews will also be helpful to you, the reader, when deciding which games to purchase and play. I will review all sorts of games from Indie to AAA and I will include my likes and dislikes in relation to the game as well as a brief content review. Enjoy!